Collating machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for collating sheets of paper. A photoelectric-sensing device determines whether more than one type of a sheet has been fed, while a spring contact sliding against a roller determines the absence of a sheet. If either more than one sheet is sensed or the absence of a sheet is detected, an electrical path is closed by a cam operated by movement of the conveyor of the machine. This closing shuts down the conveyor and a machine operator can then correct the sensed problem.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Wilhelm Eppers St. Georgen, BlackForest, Germany 211 Appl. No. 845,653

[22] Filed July 9, 1969 [45] Patented Feb. 2, 1971 [73] Assignee Math.Bauerle GmbH St. Georgen, Black Forest, Germany [32] Priority Oct. 30,1961 [33] Germany [31] 1,411,018

[54] COLLATING MACHINE 11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 270/58 [51] Int. Cl B65h 39/02 [50] Field of Search .t270/54, 58

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,427,839 9/1947 Davidson270/58 2,479,060 8/1949 Davidson..... 270/58 3,175,821 3/1965 Gibson270/58 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-Paul V.Williams Attorney-Spencer & Kaye ABSTRACT: A machine for collatingsheets of paper. A photoelectric-sensing device determines whether morethan one type of a sheet has been fed, while a spring contact slidingagainst a roller determines the absence of a sheet. If either more thanone sheet is sensed or the absence of a sheet is detected, an electricalpath is closed by a cam operated by move ment of the conveyor of themachine. This closing shuts down the conveyor and a machine operator canthen correct the sensed problem.

PATENTED FEB 21971 SHEET l UF 6 \h/w X. K014) PATENTED FEB 2 um SHEET 5BF w W n, m m

1 nn mm by m4 w 74 n 0 Ba NOR-U COLLATING MACHINE This application is acontinuation of copending application Ser. No. 233,854, filed Oct. 29,1962, now abandoned.

The invention relates to a collating machine i.e. to a machine in whichsheets of different kinds, e.g. of different colors, differentthicknesses, different formats. different imprinting, are to beassembled in sets. By way of example the present invention is concernedwith prospectus sheets, forms, brochures and copy sets with variousconsecutive sheets arranged one on top of another.

Collating machines of this kind are known in many forms. Such machinesare mostly of considerably complicated construction, and theirmanufacture and installation presents considerable difficulties.

Devices are also known which stop the machines or at least provide asignal when a sheet is lacking and also when more than one sheet isinserted. These depend principally on mechanical thickness measurementand are therefore greatly influenced by machine speeds so that they arenot foolproof when thin paper is employed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to provide amachine of the above character which is constructed in a conceivablysimple manner, which assures production which operates continuouslywithout interruption because of the refilling of magazines, and whichassures the maintenance of a fast, uniform working cycle with a loadingof only one sheet of a given type at a time.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings.

It should be understood, however, that these are given by way ofillustration and not of limitation, and that various changes in thedetails, form and arrangement of the parts may be made without departingfrom the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic representationof the assembly system of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a schematic overall representation of an assembly machine;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic representation of the feed rolls withits respective paper stack;

FIG, 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 with the addition of a feeddevice;

FIG. 5 is a partly modified fonn of a feed station;

FIG. 6 is an extended view of the driving connections of the loadingaggregate as well as of the control elements for controlling the cycles;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the device for stopping theloading of less than one or more than one sheet;

FIG. 8 is a wiring diagram for a loading station and the end station;and

FIG. 9 is a similar diagram to that of FIG. 8 with the addition of ametering relay.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings indetail, the collating machine comprises a frame I which consists of arow of similar frame parts containing loading stations or devices 2, 3,4, 5, and an end part 6, which houses the drive part and the controlmeans which are common to all stations. The frame 1 is provided withcover plate 7 which consists of a number of smooth plate parts providedwith longitudinal slots extending therethrough, said plate partscorresponding in number to that of the stations. A pair of chains 8extend under the cover plate 7 and to these are secured transversely andoutwardly directed carriers 9 which extend through the longitudinalslots of the cover plate 7 and are slidably displaceable on the sheetsloaded on plate 7.

Each loading station is equipped with a loading unit which is disposedabove the cover plate 7. Each of these units comprises a fixed loadingtable I0 for receiving fanned multiplesheet stacks, a pair of frictionfeed rollers 12, 13, forwarding rollers I4, 15, as well as acantilevered grate associated therewith not shown. This grate is neededonly when loading thin and/or short sheets and is therefore detachablysecured. The end portion 6 is equipped with delivery roll pairs 17,which carry forward to a stacking device 18 the sheets delivered on thecover plate 7 by the chains 8 and their carriers 9. The sheets arearranged in stacks during their transport.

As more clearly shown in FIG. 2, obliquely downwardly directed sheets'of the stack 11, grasped by the feed rollers l2, 13, are laid, in thedirection of the arrow, upon the upper surface of the cover plate bymeans of forwarding rollers 14, 15 and the grate 16. There they aregrasped by the carriers 9 and are moved under the feed aggregate of thenext station. The feed rhythm is so arranged that the sheet fed from thenext station falls upon the sheets which were fed from the previousstation. After the last loading station all the sheets are lying on oneanother in the proper sequence and are then forwarded in sets from thedelivery roll pairs 17 to the stacking device 18.

As shown in FIG. 3, the friction feed rollers 12, 13, grasp, each time,the uppermost sheet of the fan-shaped sheet stack 1 l on the table 10and forward it obliquely downwards. To assure the grasping of theuppermost sheet, there are provided special feeders of knownconstruction, as shown schematically in FIG. 4. These feeders comprise aresiliently pressing separator roller 19 disposed against the uppermostsheet. Roller 19 is driven by the upper feed rollers 12 by means ofintermediately engaging friction wheel 20.

As shown in FIG. 5, the carriers connected with the conveyor chains 8are advantageously constructed as upwardly extending members 21. Thesemembers comprise upwardly extending rods 22, which terminate in upper,forwardly directed, angles 23. These angles reach over the trailingedges of the sheets which are to be moved and prevent the sheets fromslipping backwards over the carriers, should the sheets curve. There arefurther secured to fixed transverse rods 24 horizontal stop rods 25, insuch a manner that the lower edges of rods 25 are disposed under thelower edges of the angles 23, to assure that the sheets grasped at theirtrailing edges and arranged by the carriers 22, 23 lie flat on the grateI6 and are guided along the grate without deformation.

It should aLso be noted, that in the friction feeders, only the upperfriction roller 12, operatively connected with a drive shaft 27 througha pawl lock 26, effects the further movement of the sheets delivered bythe feeder rolls 19, while the lower friction roller 13, which isnonrotatably secured on its shaft 28 and which is adjustable togetherwith said shaft relative to the drive roller 12 for each sheet thicknessguides the sheets into the contact between the forwarding rollers 14, 15and extends through curved guide plates 29.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 are shown the already described parts and theparticular control means for cyclic movement of the feeder rolls and forthe control of the correct feeding of each sheet. The drive shaft 27 ofthe upper drive roller 12 is drivingly connected through a gear 30 withthe electrically controllable part 31 of an electromagnetic coupling,the constantly running part 32 whereof is in driving connection with aconstantly running chain drive 37. The gear 35 drives, by means ofmeshing gears 38, 39, both of the shafts 40, 41 which are fixedlyconnected with the forwarding rollers 14, IS.

A contact roller 42 is mounted on the upper shaft 40 between twoconveyor rollers 14, said contact roller 42 having the same diameter asthe conveyor rollers l4, 15. A contact spring 43 bears against thecontact roll 42.

Meshing with the conveyor chains 8 are twochain wheels 44, the shafts 45of which drive via gears 46 and 47 cam discs. The cam disc 48 actuates amicroswitch 49 once during each revolution.

In the end portion 6, shown by a dotted outline, cam disc 50 is drivenby conveyor chains 8 through a similar drive connection. The cam of thecam disc 50 is offset about behind,

relative to the cam of cam disc 48. and actuates a microswitch 51.

Between the drive rollers 12, I3 and the forwarding roller pairs 14.there is disposed a photoelectric control device (FIG. 7) which totransilluminates the passing sheets relative serves to control thenumber of sheets. The photoelectric control device is provided with alamp 52 of an adjustable light intensity, a photodiode. 53 prevent anamplifier 54 and a relay switch 55.

One of the relay switching arrangements in the abovedescribed part willbe next described in connection with FIG. 8. In this FIG. the circuitrywhich is used in a similar manner at each of the loading stations 2 to5, is encircled on the left by a dotted line, while the portion on theright, encircled by another dotted line, contains the circuitry for theend portion 6.

All of the stations, according to this embodiment are provided with apair of common control lines 56, 57 of which line 56 receives thecontrol impulses and line 57 is connected to the positive terminal of acurrent source. The parts of lines 56, 57 in the loading stations areconnected between loading stations by means of plug connections 58. Amanually operated switch S9 e.g. a toggle switch which is closed duringoperation serves to switch on and off each loading station individually,while a similar switch 60, open during operation, makes it possible foran operation standing at any of the stations to stop the conveyor.

The contact roller 42 and its sliding contact spring 43 actuate a relay61 which is provided with an operating contact pair 62 and an idlingcontact pair 63. One side of the microswitch 49 of the cam disc 48 isconnected to ground (negative) while the other side is connected to arelay 64. Relay 64 is connected to the positive line 57 through themanual switch 59 and is provided with three operating contact pairs 65,66, 67,. Parallely to the microswitch 49 there is arranged in series theoperating contact pair 66 of the relay 64 and the operating contact pair62 associated with the relay 61. The fixed contact of operating contactpair 62 is grounded. The fixed contact of the idling contact pair 63 ofrelay 61 is likewise grounded and its movable contact is connected withthe control line 56. The contact pair 65 of the relay 64 has one sidegrounded and its other side connected to the positive line 57 throughthe controllable part 31 of the electromagnetic coupling and through anindicator lamp 68 connected in parallel with part 31. The operatingcontact pair 67 is arranged between ground and the control line 56. Thephotoelectric-testing device which serves to control the number ofsheets, is connected with one side to the control line 56 and withanother side with the current feeding control line. 57.

The microswitch 51 of the cam disc 50 is connected with one side withthe end of the control line 56 and with its other side with a closedcircuit relay 69, the contact pair 70 of which controls a clutch in thedrive of conveyor chains 8.

The manner of operation will be described beginning with the conditionof the circuit shown in the diagram. The conveyor chains 8 are moving,since the contacts 70 are closed. The movable coupling half,controllable part 31, and its indicator lamp 68 are not connected, sothat the loading stations are not feeding any sheets at this instant.The sliding contact spring 43 is in abutment with the contact roller 42,whereby the corresponding relay 61 is energized and maintains itsoperating contact pair 62 closed and its idling contact pair 63 open.

As the cam disc 48 actuates its switch 49, during its rotation in theindicated rotational sense, the relay 64 is energized and closes itscontact pairs 65, 66 and 67. The contact pair 65 energizes the couplinghalf 31 while simultaneously lighting thelamp 68. The friction rollers12, 13 are set into operation feed and upper sheets between theconstantly turning forwarding rollers 14, 15 and simultaneously betweenthe contact 42 and the sliding contact 43. By the time the contactroller 42 and a sliding contact 43 are separated by the sheet passingbetween them, the cam disc 48 will have turned further and will haveopened the switch 49. The relay 64 at first remains in its operatingposition since the relay holds itself by means of its own contact pair66 and the still closed contact pair 62. As one of the sheets advancedby the friction rollers 12, 13, separates the sliding contact 43 fromthe contact roller 42, the relay 61 is deenergized, its contact pair 62is opened and its contact pair 63 is closed.

The relay 64, which has been holding until now, is deenergized andreleases the coupling half 31. The friction rollers l2, 13 come to astandstill, while the forwarding rollers 14, 15, continue to move thesheets forward. The closing of the contact pair 63 grounds the controlline 56 and thus provides a current circuit for the relay 69 throughswitch 51 of the cam disc 50. Should the rear edge of the deliveredsheet pass between the contact roller 42 and the sliding contact 43before the cam of cam disc 50 has actuated the switch 51, then thereenergized relay 61 keeps open the previously mentioned current circuitof the relay 69, by opening its idling contact pairs 63.

The described operation is repeated as long as the sheets are grasped bythe friction rollers 14, 15 within a certain time and are moved furtheralong. 7

Should, however, the drive roller 12 not deliver a sheet to the contactroller 42 within a period corresponding to the working cycle and thusfail to separate the contact roller from the contact spring 43, then therelay 61 remains energized, the self-holding circuit of the relay 64remains closed and its operating contact pair 67 keeps the control line56 grounded. Since after a predetermines time lapse, which is dependenton the position of the cam of the cam disc 50 relative to the positionof the cam of the cam disc 48, the switch 51 controlled thereby isclosed, and if until then no sheet is advanced and has not passed thecontact spring 43 at the appropriate time, the relay 69 is opened andinterrupts, through its. contacts 70, the coupling current circuit ofthe chain drive.

An entirely similar effect taken place, when the photoelectricinspection device 52-55 ascertains the passage of more than one sheetdue to the obstruction of the light rays passing through the sheet. Insuch a case too, the controlline 56 is grounded through relay switch 55,and the cam disc 50 then effects the stoppage of the motor drive.

It should be noted at this point, that when a sheet fails to be fed fromstack 11, the chains 8 will be detained, but the drive rollers 12 andthe forwarding rollers 14, 15 continue to rotate. Should now a sheetadvance, then the relay 61 is deenergized due to the lifting of thesliding contact 43, so that it interrupts the holding current circuit ofrelay 64. This disconnects the coupling 31 through the contact pair 65and stops the drive shaft 27 of the drive roller 12. The forwardingrollers 14, 15 continue their rotation and advance the delayedlyintroduced sheet to the cover plate 7. The conveyors are again placed inoperation by the opening of the contact pair 63 and switch 51 energizingcircuit of the relay 69.

Thus, through a corresponding arrangement of the carriers 9 relative tothe forwarding rollers 14, 15 and the cam of the cam disc 50, theconveyor chains 8 and their carriers 9 are assured of remaining in aposition in which the delayedly delivered sheets are loaded before thecarriers 9.

The switching sequence taking place in case of a delayed passage of asheet will be explained in more detail. Should the leading edge of thesheet separate the sliding contact 43 from the contact roll 42, then therelay 64 is deenergized and stops the drive shaft 27 of the drive roller12, by opening its contact pair 65. Simultaneously it also opens,besides its stop contact pair 66, the contact pair 67 and therebyseparates the control line 56 from ground. The conveyor chains 8 cantherefore continue their movement. The energized relay 61 has, however,provided a connection between the control line 56 and ground through itsidling contacts 63 and maintains this connection until the rearward edgeof the passing sheet has passed the contact position between the contactroller 42 and the contact spring 43. Only when this has taken place,does the relay 61 become energized again and opens its idler contact 63.The conveyor chains 8 can therefore run further only when the rearwardedges of the delivered sheet have passed the contact roller 42 andthereby the conveyor roller l4. l5 and are disposed in the rightposition before the carriers 9.

When more than one sheet is advanced, as ascertained by thephotoelectric inspection device. the control line 56 is also groundedand the conveyor chains 8 remain in the same position as in previouslydiscussed interruptions. The sheets reach the grate 16 and the excess ofthe delivered sheets can be removed. The connection provided by therelay 55 between the control wire 56 and the ground is maintained untila push button switch (not shown) interrupts the self-support of theswitch member 55.

The circuit shown in FIG. 9 relates to a loading station, which servesto control the number of assembled sets of sheets belonging together,and can therefore be arranged before the first or behind the last of thepreviously discussed loading stations. It is its primary purpose tocount the number of set groups containing a certain quantity of setspertaining, e.g., to a copying book. Finally these groups of sets areseparated from one another by inserting interleaving sheets.

The counting station corresponds to the above-described loading stationsuntil one considers the counting equipment. The photoelectric controldevice can usually be switched off. since ordinarily the interleavingsheets to be inserted are practically impenetrable by light, andbecause, after a certain interleaving sheet thickness, there is nodanger that a plurality of interleaving sheets would be delivered.

The essential difference resides in the fact that a counting relay 71,controlled by electrical impulses, is connected between the relay 64 andthe switch 49. This counting relay is provided with a contact 72 in theenergizing line of the relay 64, which closes after a predetermined,adjustable number of impulses, i.e. after a number of inserted sets haspassed by, and connects the coupling 31 of the advancing unit for theheavy or cardboard interleaving sheets. The relay 71 opens automaticallyits contact 72 after the passage of an interleaving sheet. The timelypassage of the interleaving sheet to be inserted is controlled in thiscase exactly as in the case of the remaining insertion stations.

lclaim:

l. A machine for collating sheets of paper from a plurality of stationsto form sets comprising, in combination:

a plurality of inclined tables for supporting stacks of identicalsheets, provided close to a conveyor which transports sets of collatedsheets, each of the tables being provided with a feeding roller meansadapted to withdraw the uppermost sheet of the stack and to drop it downonto the conveyor, at least some of the tables having a first sensingmeans for detecting feeding of more than a single sheet and formed as aphotoelectric device, and a second sensing means for detecting failureto feed a sheet and formed as a contact roller and an associated slidingcontact bearing against the contact roller and adapted to be disengagedtherefrom by a delivered sheet passing between the contact roller andthe sliding contact; and

at least one conveyor-operated switch means for opening and closing aline, and coupling means for coupling said conveyor-operated switchmeans to said conveyor for intermittently operating saidconveyor-operated switch means upon movement of the conveyor;

further switch means operated by the first and second sensing meansbeing effective to establish a connection upon no sheet or more than asingle sheet being delivered by a said feeding roller means, and meansfor utilizing said connection for effecting stoppages of the conveyorupon subsequent operation of said conveyor-operated switch means.

2. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising a secondconveyor-operated switch means for turning said feeding roller means onand coupling means for coupling said second conveyor-operated switchmeans to said conveyor for intermittently operating said secondconveyor-operated switch means upon movement of the conveyor, bothcoupling means including rotatable cam discs, the cams of the cam discsbeing angularly displacedrelatively to each other, so that the secondconveyor-operated switch means operates a determined period in the cycleof the machine before the firstrecited conveyor-operated switch meanswhereby the conveyor continues to move for an interval after the feedingroller means is on, even though the second sensing means has sensed thata sheet has not been fed.

3. A machine according to claim 2, the feeding roller means of eachtable including a feeding roller, a drive shaft carrying the feedingroller, and an electromagnetic coupling means for coupling the driveshaft to a source of mechanical power, which electromagnetic couplingmeans is controlled by an electrical circuit including said sensingmeans and the conveyor-operated switch means controlled by the camdiscs.

4. A machine according to claim 3, in which the contact roller, againstwhich the sliding contact bears, is coupled to a relay having a normallyopen switch which lies in a holding circuit of a further relay adaptedto be operated by said second conveyor-operated switch means, a contactof the further relay being electrically connected to the electromagneticcoupling means and another contact of the further relay being connectedwith the first sensing device.

5. A machine according to claim 1, said feeding roller means including aseparator roller resiliently abutting the uppennost sheet of each stack,a feed roller, and a friction wheel,

the separator roller being driven by its feed roller by means offrictional contact of the friction wheel with the separator roller andthe feed roller.

6. A machine according to claim 1, further comprising forwarding rollerspositioned adjacent the feeding roller means, the sheet fed by thefeeding roller means passing through the forwarding rollers and onto theconveyor.

7. A machine according to claim 4, in which the relay, the furtherrelay, the electromagnetic coupling means, and a relay in said means forutilizing are connected to an electrical supply source and through atleast one more switch to ground.

8. A machine according to claim 7, in which the relay in said means forutilizing and the first-recited conveyor-operated switch means areprovided in an end station, a groundable control line and a power supplyline being common to all stations, the groundable control line includingthe first-recited conveyor-operated switch means.

9. A machine according to claim 8, in which the groundable control lineand the power supply line which are common to all stations areinterconnected by plug-and-socket connections.

10. A machine according to claim 1, in which the stations are providedwith hand-operated switches by which the feeding roller means and theconveyor respectively may be switched on or off.

1 l. A machine according to claim 1, in which the first or the laststation is provided with a counting relay means, operated by electricpulses generated in dependence on the sheets which are delivered, forcausing the feeding of interleaving sheets after delivery of all thesheets belonging to a set.

1. A machine for collating sheets of paper from a plurality of stationsto form sets comprising, in combination: a plurality of inclined tablesfor supporting stacks of identical sheets, provided close to a conveyorwhich transports sets of collated sheets, each of the tables beingprovided with a feeding roller means adapted to withdraw the uppermostsheet of the stack and to drop it down onto the conveyor, at least someof the tables having a first sensing means for detecting feeding of morethan a single sheet and formed as a photoelectric device, and a secondsensing means for detecting failure to feed a sheet and formed as acontact roller and an associated sliding contact bearing against thecontact roller and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by a deliveredsheet passing between the contact roller and the sliding contact; and atleast one conveyor-operated switch means for opening and closing a line,and coupling means for coupling said conveyoroperated switch means tosaid conveyor for intermittently operating said conveyor-operated switchmeans upon movement of the conveyor; further switch means operated bythe first and second sensing means being effective to establish aconnection upon no sheet or more than a single sheet being delivered bya said feeding roller means, and means for utilizing said connection foreffecting stoppages of the conveyor upon subsequent operation of saidconveyor-operated switch means.
 2. A machine according to claim 1,further comprising a second conveyor-operated switch means for turningsaid feeding roller means on and coupling means for coupling said secondconveyor-operated switch means to said conveyor for intermittentlyoperating said second conveyor-operated switch means upon movement ofthe conveyor, both coupling means including rotatable cam discs, thecams of the cam discs being angularly displaced relatively to eachother, so that the second conveyor-operated switch means operates adetermined period in the cycle of the machine before the first-recitedconveyor-operated switch means whereby the conveyor continues to movefor an interval after the feeding roller means is on, even though thesecond sensing means has sensed that a sheet has not been fed.
 3. Amachine according to claim 2, the feeding roller means of each tableincluding a feeding roller, a drive shaft carrying the feeding roller,and an electromagnetic coupling means for coupling the drive shaft to asource of mechanical power, which electromagnetic coupling means iscontrolled by an electrical circuit including said sensing means and theconveyor-operated switch means controlled by the cam discs.
 4. A machineaccording to claim 3, in which the contact roller, against which thesliding contact bears, is coupled to a relay having a normally openswitch which lies in a holding circuit of a further relay adapted to beoperated by said second conveyor-operated switch means, a contact of thefurther relay being electrically connected to the electromagneticcoupling means and another contact of the further relay being connectedwith the first sensing device.
 5. A machine according to claim 1, saidfeeding roller means including a separator roller resiliently abuttingthe uppermost sheet of each stack, a feed roller, and a friction wheel,the separator roller being driven by its feed roller by means offrictional contact of the friction wheel with the separator roller andthe feed roller.
 6. A machine according to claim 1, further comprisingforwarding rollers positioned adjacent the feeding roller means, thesheet fed by the feeding roller means passing through the forwardingrollers and onto the conveyor.
 7. A machine according to claim 4, inwhich the relay, the further relay, the electromagnetic coupling means,and a relay in said means for utilizing are connected to an electricalsupply source and through at least one more switch to ground.
 8. Amachine according to claim 7, in which the relay in said means forutilizing and the first-recited conveyor-operated switch means areprovided in an end station, A groundable control line and a power supplyline being common to all stations, the groundable control line includingthe first-recited conveyor-operated switch means.
 9. A machine accordingto claim 8, in which the groundable control line and the power supplyline which are common to all stations are interconnected byplug-and-socket connections.
 10. A machine according to claim 1, inwhich the stations are provided with hand-operated switches by which thefeeding roller means and the conveyor respectively may be switched on oroff.
 11. A machine according to claim 1, in which the first or the laststation is provided with a counting relay means, operated by electricpulses generated in dependence on the sheets which are delivered, forcausing the feeding of interleaving sheets after delivery of all thesheets belonging to a set.